Coming to Malaysia: The Man Who Breathes Innovation

TL;DR – GECommunity Summit, initated by the Ministry of Finance (MOF), and organized by the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), will be bringing together a host of ecosystem influencers, start – up communities and industry leaders from across the globe, one of which is the known physicist and futurist Michio Kaku, to collaborate and discuss innovative approaches to solve entrepreneurial challenges.

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The Global Entrepreneurship Community Summit (GECommunity Summit) will take place this December, bringing together a host of ecosystem influencers, start-up communities and industry leaders from across the globe, to collaborate and discuss innovative approaches to solve entrepreneurial challenges and chart the way forward. Themed “Designing the Future”, this international summit initiated by the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia (MOF) and organised by the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC), aims at being a catalyst for innovation by empowering entrepreneurs with ground-breaking ideas and collaborations to solve cross-border issues and develop bold ideas and solutions.

The 2016 edition of the GECommunity, themed “Reimagine the Future of Entrepreneurs” was attended by more than 5,000 participants and featured world-renowned speakers such as Mike Walsh, CEO of Tomorrow, Bill Rancic, Joel Neoh, Founder of KFit as well as Emil Michael of Uber. In addition to engaging speakers and networking opportunities, GECommunity 2016 offered business matching, mentoring sessions and cluster discussions where 50 initiatives were formed across 9 industry-specific cluster labs with participants and experts from over 60 countries.

This year, the GECommunity Summit 2017 will be convening ground for change-makers to participate in 100 GEC labs across 15 themes set around an un-conference format, listen to over 20 stimulating keynotes and panel discussions, receive mentoring from notable entrepreneurs, participate in over 10 entrepreneurship Masterclasses and visit more than 200 exhibition booths aside from partaking in the Malaysian Business Angel Network (MBAN) Summit, video competitions and the Entrepreneurial Higher Education Symposium.

In an event chock-full of innovation and Earth-shattering insights, it comes as no surprise that Dr. Michio Kaku, world-renowned theoretical physicist and futurist, is one of the chosen keynote speakers at the upcoming GECommunity Summit. Dr. Kaku is known the world over as a best-selling author, acclaimed public speaker and populariser of science. You may recognise him from his numerous appearances on television programmes such as the BBC, Discovery Channel, History and Science Channels.

“I think that by creating a world of plenty, by creating institutions and organizations that promote knowledge and promote understanding, I think I could be part of being in a better world.” – Dr. Michio Kaku

One of his most important contributions in the field of modern physics is his role as co-founder on the String Field Theory and its dynamics in quantum physics. As an authoritative and relatable voice on this subject matter, Dr. Kaku has authored many international best-sellers including “Future of the Mind” and “Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100”.

His biggest contribution to society, however, is his enthusiastic love for his field of expertise and his candid ability to pass on his fascination, passion and curiosity to the next generation. He regularly discusses the future of mankind and how it will change with technology, tackles big questions and inspires critical thinking in our everyday lives. He has also explored the possibilities of a multi-dimensional Universe and is credited for changing the way people view science alongside his peers Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

“Magic, fantasy, [and] science fiction were all a gigantic playground for my imagination. They began a lifelong love [of] the impossible.” – Dr. Michio Kaku

His fascination with the mysterious started early in his life. As a young boy, Dr. Kaku delved into the world of fantasy and science fiction, stirring up his appetite for the more mysterious plains and dimensions of the Universe. As he grew older, he realised that he wouldn’t be able to solve the world’s problems without a solid grasp of advanced mathematics and theoretical physics.

His parents, although not financially well-off, wholly supported his curiosity and encouraged his ambitious pursuits and exploration.

By the time he was in high school, he had become a master of sorts on the topic of physics. He debuted a particle accelerator, made of hundreds of pounds of scrap metal and copper wire at the National Science Fair where his talent was noticed by famous nuclear physicist Edward Teller who became his mentor and fast-tracked the brilliant young man into Harvard University.

He was also hugely inspired by Albert Einstein, from the moment he heard about the famous scientist’s unfinished hypothesis that the late scientist hoped would lead to a ‘theory of everything’, which is, simply put, a single unifying theory that can explain all the physical things in our known dimensions.

Dr. Kaku vowed to finish what Einstein started, partially succeeding by being the co-founder of string field theory, as his work united Einstein’s earlier findings with quantum physics. He is still working on identifying the missing link in his string field theory, and believes the answer “would be one simple equation that would be small enough to fit onto a T-shirt but could answer everything man has ever wanted to know about the Universe.”

Guided by his passion in wanting to communicate complex science theories to young minds, Dr. Kaku has taught at Princeton University and the City College of New York, in addition to his extensive author credits. He encourages his students to re-consider the impossible, reminding us that those who have bothered to dissect the impossible managed to push the boundaries of physics and chemistry, forcing scientists to re-define what they previously called ‘impossible’.

Dr. Kaku stands out in his field by shedding the elite persona that recognised scientists often exhibit that prompt critics to accuse them of being ignorant up in their ‘ivory towers’. This is evident when he was quoted saying that you don’t have to be Einstein to be a physicist, the important thing is to possess curiosity and drive.

His advice will no doubt resonate with entrepreneurs, who are often encouraged to build on that inner drive to succeed in their business goals.

Join over 5,000 delegates in designing the future of entrepreneurship globally on 12 & 13 December 2017 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia; take the opportunity to catch Dr. Michio Kaku in action, and be inspired by his passion for science, innovation and technology.